75
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisEven while embracing the breathless beats of the crime thriller, Graceland holds tight to its concern for exploited children.
- 90Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinGraceland is a tense, twisty cinematic artichoke brimming with moral complexity and intriguing shades of gray.
- 88Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenThe film's plot isn't unusual, but director Ron Morales strips it down to its primal essence.
- 88New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeMorales’ spin on the old ransom plot is fresher and more gripping than most big-budget Hollywood products.
- 83The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonThe A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonIt’s a dark, grim, suffocating story that only missteps by overplaying its hand, making the larger message about prostitution increasingly overt.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterThe spare, tightly wound narrative ultimately turns on the hard-eyed, relentless efficacy of the plot, as well as the certainty of Reyes’ performance.
- 60Time OutTime OutFor all the alleged ethical complexity in this thriller’s noirish narrative, everything’s a little too neat here.
- 50Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleGraceland is terrific entertainment, but I can’t decide if it’s a cautionary tale, an exercise in moral relativism, or an exploitation film. There’s the final conundrum.
- 40Village VoiceErnest HardyVillage VoiceErnest HardyStriking the right balance between interior and exterior can mean the difference between compelling drama and accidental melodrama. Writer-director Ron Morales just misses equilibrium in the visually arresting Filipino thriller Graceland.